Latto’s Parents: Having a Black Father and a White Mother Exposed the Rapper to Bullying

Throughout her life, Latto’s parents supported and inspired her. However, they couldn’t protect her from the bullying she would experience for being biracial. The rapper and singer born Alyssa Michelle Stephens has since been open about her experiences.

Born to a Black father and a White mother, rapper Latto faced bullying from her classmates. She explained that other children thought of her as a stereotypical light skin girl who thought she was better than others.

She spoke about her heritage from two different backgrounds and how she grappled with it, explaining that her family never really brought this up. Latto only began seeing it as an issue when she started attending school.

Latto, or Mulatto more specifically, means a person of mixed white and black ancestry, especially one with one white and one black parent. The term had negative connotations attached. Latto explained that she reclaimed the word in a positive light, expressing:

“I took that never energy and made something positive out of it.”

The rapper, who had been reportedly dating 21 Savage, a rumor they have both denied, explained that she receives criticism for that name and what it can mean if not used in how she has framed it.

Regarding her family, even though her father was termed a “hustler,” she is a self-proclaimed daddy’s girl. She would follow her father to video shoots where celebrities like Dem Franchize Boyz and Ciara used his cars.

When she is not following him to video shoots, she will go to his friends’ houses to use their studios to record music. Her mother was an accountant, and according to their daughter, they did not live in anything close to luxury when she was younger.

Latto shared her love for her mother and sister, which she showed in a video she posted on Instagram. In the clip, she presented them with new cars. The caption read:

“Merry Christmas to my mama & baby sister 🎅🎁🎄🎉 Thank you, @mr_monsterdeal365, for everything!!!”

The artist, who Rihanna inspires, commented on her reported habit of spending a lot of money on her family. She said she doesn’t let them pay for anything and makes them take her money.

Speaking about her mother in more depth, Latto said that she always supports her decision to dress how she pleases, which is to take on a sexually empowered style. Opening up about her parents’ general influence on her career and life, she expressed:

“Neither of our parents went to college. I just watched them hustle and make a way for themselves. My father was very much in my life. He raised two very secure, confident, ‘I know what I want’ females. It gave me that confidence like anything is possible.”

Latto has a younger sister, Brooklyn Nikole, who she calls her right-hand woman, and she is more behind the scenes. During the singer’s podcast, the sisters had heart-to-heart conversations.

Brooklyn is an entrepreneur running a cosmetic line and plans to expand her business. However, unlike her sister, she does not like being the center of attention and remarked that her sister has always been her role model.

Additionally, she is bound to be the first person in their family to graduate from college. Even though she sometimes finds it hard, she acknowledges that education is essential.